Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department detectives have arrested a suspect, accused of the Nov.

Tuesday, January 30, 2001

Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department detectives have arrested a suspect, accused of the Nov. 23 robbing of a Burlington gas station.

Eric Lawson, 22, of Harry Hallow Road, South Point was taken into custody Jan. 11, charged with the aggravated robbery of the Burlington Speedway on Wal-Mart Way, according to sheriff’s reports.

Lawson has since been arraigned in Lawrence County Municipal Court and the case has been heard in a preliminary hearing, Sheriff Tim Sexton said.

"He has been released on bond," Sexton said. "The case has been bound over for further grand jury proceedings."

He said prosecutors are planning to take the case before a grand jury next month.

Investigators have been probing through evidence from the scene after Diana Meyers, an employee of the gas station, reported the incident.

Ms. Meyers reported two white males allegedly entered the gas station about 2:08 a.m. Thanksgiving morning, walked up to the counter and pointed a small-caliber, semi-automatic pistol at her, according to sheriff’s reports.

She was reportedly found behind the counter, bleeding from the head area.

Ms. Meyers reported one of the two white males pointed the gun at her and demanded the store’s money.

The victim said she didn’t get a clear view of the second male that entered the store, but reported both were of average height – about 5-feet, 11-inches tall – reports show.

She told deputies she turned to get the money when the armed male robber came from the customer-side of the counter, into her booth and began pulling cigarettes from the shelf above the counter.

Once she opened the drawer, the male began pulling money from it and demanded the money from the safe.

According to the report, when the female employee bent over by the safe to hand the armed male a money bag, he struck her on the head with what she believed to be the butt of the gun.

Ms. Meyers reported the suspects exited the gas station and headed in an eastward direction on foot.